Our Flag Means Death

It’s Pride Month here in the States, and what better time of year than to dive in to my new favorite show: Our Flag Means Death.

There is a long history of queer-baiting in media-the marketing technique wherein a character is depicted with intentional stereotype to evoke queerness, without ever making it overt or taking a stand for that character’s identity. It happens a lot, Disney, for example, makes billions of dollars a year, markets an intense amount of “Pride” merchandise every June for Pride month, and insists they are including more and more queer characters as an act of inclusivity and representation. Go ahead, name a confirmed canonical queer Disney character whose queerness is established on screen (not just by them announcing “I’m gay!” at some point, or worse if the author/director/actor says “yeah they’re totally gay, it wasn’t written in that way or portrayed that way or anything but in my heart I knew they were gay).

I’m still frustrated with the ending to the CW’s Supernatural despite having stopped watching finally a season or two before the end. The love relationship between Castiel and Dean was definitely more than bffs, and the show was brave enough to allow Castiel (who is technically a genderless Angel) to admit his love for Dean…. right before his [Castiel’s] death! Spoilers, #sorrynotsorry

And look, not every deeply loving friendship is romantic, and I certainly don’t look at every character and feel they could be queer or otherwise LGBTQIA+. But why do we assume the default is straight? Why is romantic love always equated with sex?

And then I sat down to binge watch Our Flag Means Death. I watched it a second time less than a week later, a third a week after that, and I’m on my 4th now. This would be only the 2nd television show I’ve watched more than 3 times, and usually that number of repeats would be spaced out between years. I’m just not usually a re-watcher. The show is gorgeous, funny, and insane. It’s beautifully representative without being obnoxious about it. The characters just are and, much like you don’t realize how poor your eyesight is until you get brand-spanking-new glasses, I didn’t know how much I was missing.

And then, when I was talking about the show ad nauseum to anyone in my proximity, I realized something funny. [this time I’m warning you a spoiler is coming] Cishet people, by and large, had no idea that kiss was coming in Episode 1X09. Was this an indication, as before with Supernatural, that perhaps those of us in the LGBTQIA+ community just want to see representation so badly we envision it for ourselves when it clearly isn’t there? I don’t think so. I think that cishet people are trained to look for cishet ways of speaking, acting, and flirting. Queer people, a lot of the time, don’t behave the same way. So, in loose chronological order, here are my favorite show moments that I believe Definitely Prove Our Flag Means Death Is Queer Culture:

Jim’s Revelation

Vico Ortiz, openly nonbinary and Latiné, plays the role of Jim, first introduced as a mute man and close friend of Oluwande.

After shenanigans, it is revealed that the nose and beard Jim wears are fake. There is a moment where, I think the Swede questions “Jim’s a girl?” but mostly the characters adjust quickly to this new revelation. When the Swede can’t seem to understand “Jim” may not be their real name, Jim tells the Swede to just keep calling them Jim, since that’s how everyone knows them. The rest of the show uses they or he pronouns for Jim, and no one questions, ridiculous, or treats Jim any differently thereafter. Jim is NOT a woman, they aren’t a man, and they aren’t necessarily nonbinary, just because the actor portraying them is. But they are clearly a character that exists beyond and outside of the gender binary, which is reflective of a great many people.

You Wear Fine Things Well

The show takes great pains to illustrate the vastly different upbringings Stede and Edward had. Stede was raised with wealth and means, though pressured to be more manly and aggressive. Edward was poor and lower class, a memory of his mother telling him they “just aren’t those kind of people” in reference to the ability to afford and own nice things particularly hits home. In 1×04 Stede meets Edward for the first time, and unaware of Edward’s identity is much more relaxed and open than he would likely otherwise be. Noticing a piece of fabric in Edward’s pocket, Stede asks “do you fancy a fine fabric?” to which Edward replies “I think…maybe I do.” Now, the interaction in itself isn’t necessarily reading anything into it, but the way they interact with each other. The shy why Stede grasps at some way he can find common ground with this terrifying and exciting man, the hesitation in Edward’s voice after “I think…” It’s gorgeous. And then it gets better in the next episode.

After attending a snooty French dinner party aboard another vessel (an excellent episode for so many reasons), Edward and Stede have a heartfelt conversation in the most romantic setting. Alone aboard the Revenge, with only the moon to illuminate them, Stede gently places the fine fabric into Edward’s pocket, and says “Look at that. You wear fine things well.”

Edward then steps closer to Stede, almost rocking his body forward a time or two until he makes that step, reaches a hand up towards Stede’s face…and then they both clear their throats, clearly uncomfortable, and leave. But not without turning back around to stare longingly at the other man, who has also turned around. Stede is probably the only person who has ever told Edward he looked well in nice things, that he deserves nice things. And it kills me. Here’s the whole clip:

The Foot Touch

I screamed out loud when I got to this moment, at the end of episode 8. The episode has seen the return of Calico Jack, an old crew member of Blackbeard’s from the past. He embodies the raucous pirate behavior Edward has been running away from, and Stede is made very uncomfortable. Calico Jack takes a moment in private with Stede to mention his prior sexual relationship with Edward, clearly picking up on Stede’s jealousy and discomfort with the information. Eventually, Edward follows Calico Jack off the ship. Stede treats this like a breakup, and Lucius agrees to help him mourn the loss of Edward. However! Calico Jack tells Edward he had been sent to get the Revenge and its crew in position for a trap, and took Edward off the ship with him to ensure his safety. Frantic with worry, Edward launches himself off the tiny dinghy he and Calico Jack were on, swims back to the Revenge, and encourages the crew to hoist the white flag-alive is better than dead.

They’re all arrested. Stede and Edward are thrown face down to the deck, hands tied behind their backs. They turn to look at each other, and the relief is palpable. Stede: “You came back”
Edward:”Never left.” with a wink and a grin, as the shot pulls away from them. And then, to ensure no vague maybe, Edward reaches his foot across the deck to touch Stede’s foot. And I screamed. The music choice for the scene is “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, so you really can’t go wrong watching it. It’s my favorite scene in the first season (I think? Don’t quote me) and a great place to end.